SLOUCHING TOWARD WWIII: China struggling with military reforms needed in time for Taiwan action.

The People’s Liberation Army failed to implement key military reforms needed to meet the goal of having enough firepower to take Taiwan by force in 2027, according to an Air Force think tank report.

The report quotes People’s Liberation Army Gen. Zhang Youxia, the most powerful military officer in China, as voicing concerns that the military has not moved fast enough to be ready for an invasion or blockade of Taiwan, as Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered.

Details of the shortcomings were disclosed by Gen. Zhang in a state-media essay last year. The article revealed weaknesses in military leadership, problems with wartime military-civilian coordination, and an inability to conduct both joint operations and information warfare operations needed for a major joint military campaign.

“After nine years of corruption purges, modernization initiatives, and substantial reforms, Xi and China’s military leaders remain concerned,” the report by the China Aerospace Studies Institute states.

“Significant portions of the People’s Liberation Army and cross-military and local (civilian) efforts are not moving fast enough, or in the right direction.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a speech on May 31 that a conflict with China over Taiwan is a real danger that is “imminent” and would result in devastating consequences.

One thing to remember is that Xi’s anti-corruption purges were more about giving cover to removing threats to Xi than they were about reducing corruption.

Another thing to remember is that dictators tend to believe the lies told by their underlings about how well things are going, particularly in the military.